Transferring apparatus and method of making same



April 24, 1928. 6 G. VON WEBERN TRANSFERRING APPARATUS AND METHOD 'OF MAKING SAME Y Original Filed July 5a 1924 I I V 35 34 I 4 i 30 gwomtoc (AMI/4T W awwddd okiw Patented Apr. 24, 1928. g V

. UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE,

GUIDO VON WEBERN, or DAYTON, onro,

OXFORD VARNISH CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TRANSFERRING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME,

Original application filed July The present invention relates to apparatus for use in the commercial reproduction of designs of an artistic nature and more particularly to a process for simulating wood graining, or the like, upon metal or other surfaces.

This application is a division of my prior application Serial No. 729,135, filed July 30, 1924.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a roll having an improved impression material, and an improved method of making the same, for use in the said process of simulating wood graining and the like.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and in which Figs. 1 and 2 are side elevation and plan views respectively of the applying machine employed in applying the impression material to the surface of a roll in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the apparatus in Fig. 1.

In the process of reproducing designs of an artistic nature, as for example, simulating wood graining upon metal or other surfaces, the design is first formed on a surface of a plate, and this design then transferred to another surface by passing a roll first over the surface of the plate upon which the design is produced and then passing the roll over the surface to which the design is to be transferred. The rollhas a surface of a flexible or impression-receiving material so that the ink design adheres to the surface of the roll, and when the roll is assed over the second surface the design a heres thereto, leaving the roll without any design on its surface. The design may be placed upon the first surface or plate in any desired manner as by painting, or by forming the design in relief upon the plate,but preferably the design is produced by means of depressions in the plate,

which depressions are filled with a suitable ink and constitute the design to be transferred. For artistic work which portrays the minute cellular construction of wood graining, as well as the shades of color in the surface of the wood, the design is preferably obtained byphotographing a piece of wood andthen transferring the design from 30, 1924, Serial No. 729,135. Divided and this application filed May 1,

Serial No. 27,276.

the photographic negative to a copper, or other type of ink plate by means of etching or any suitable process. After the plate has been formed the entire plate is covered with ink, paint, varnish, or other color bearing medium-for purposes of easier description hereinafter referred to as ink-and a doctor is then drawn over the surface of the plate to wipe the ink off of the top surface of the plate leaving the depressions or etched portions of the plate filled with ink.

When the roll is passed over the ink plate the design or ink adheres to the surface of the roll and may then be transferred to the prepared surface which is to receive the design. However, great difliculty has been experienced, particularly in fine work, in securing rolls having surfaces suitable for satisfactorily transferring the design from the ink plate to the surface which has been prepared to receive the design, owing to the difliculty of preventing the formation of bubbles or other defects in the surface of the roll, which result in the forming of imperfect designs from perfect plates. This has been particularly true with respect to' rolls of large size. Heretofore the surface layers for these rolls have been cast in cylindrical metal, or similar molds. Such surface layers almost invariably contain large numbers of air bubbles which are often so great in number as to render the surface layer useless, or quite inferior. I

The present application discloses a method and apparatus for producing a roll of such improved character as to overcome the difficulty mentioned whereby substantially perfeet transfers may be made from an ink plate to the surface of an selected object.

In my prior application I have disclosed and claimed the method and apparatus for forming the flexible or impression material, but as the method and apparatus for forming the impression material forms no part of the present invention, the same is not described in detail herein. p

The sheet of impression material may be of any suitable thickness but it has been found in practice that good results are obta'inable from a sheet having a thickness of one to one and one-half inches. The impression material preferably consists of glue and glycerine in varying proportions, .depending on the physical characteristics desired in the finished product. The proportions of one-half glue and one-half glycerine, which melts at a temperature of about 120 or 130 F gives very satisfactory results under normal conditions. It is understood, of course that the impression material may bemade in any desired or suitable manner, but when made according to the method and with the apparatus disclosed in said prior application, the impression material has an impression surface of extreme smoothness and uniformity. The finished sheet of impression material is preferably spread out upon a flexible copper plate, from which all, or portions, of it may be removed, as desired, for forming rolls.

Having formed the sheet of impression material of the proper size and shape, this sheet is now ready to be secured to the surface of the roll or other backing. For this purpose the apparatus illustrated is pro-v vided, such apparatus consisting of a frame work adapted to support the roll or backing, and the sheet of impression material in such position that they may be readily brought into engagement with one another. it being understood that the sheet of impression material is to lie on the peripheral surface of the roll and to be secured thereto. The frame work of the applying machine is provided with the horizontally disposed supporting bars 30 for supporting the roll or backing 31 in position to receive the impression sheet. At one end of the frame work there are posts 32 which are provided with a ledge or shoulder 33 to support one end of the copper plate 34 which carries the sheet of impression material 35, the smooth or impression surface of which lies in contact with the copper plate. Mounted on the posts 32 adjacent the end of the copper plate when the latter is resting on the ledge 33, is a roller 36 over which the impression sheet may be drawn towards the roll 31. 'Pivotally mounted in the frame work of the applying machine are three pressure rolls 37, 38 and 39, which are arranged in a series and adapted to bear against the periphery of the roll 31. Adjustable spring tension devices 40 are secured to the ends of the pressure rolls 37, 38 and 39 to provide the dethe pressure rolls 37, 38 and 39.

sired'pressure against the surface of the roll 31. In order that the applying machine may receive rolls of various diameters, each sup porting bar 30 is provided with a supporting bracket 41 to receive the shaft 42 of the roll, the supporting bracket being adjustable horizontally along the supporting bar 30 so that the periphery of the roll 31 may be brought into proper relation with respect to After adjustment the supporting brackets 41 are secured in position in any suitable manner as by means of the fastening bolts 43 and wedges 44.

When it is desired to secure the sheet of impression material to the roll, it being assumed that the roll 31 is in position in the frame and the copper sheet carrying the impression material 35 is in position with its edge resting on the ledge 33, the operator draws the end of the sheet 35 over the roll 36 and enters it between pressure roll 37 and the surface of the backing roll 31. Heat is then applied, as by means of a torch 45 to the surface of the impression material adjacent the line of contact between the impression material and the backing 31. In this manner the surface of the glue-glycerine composition of the impression material is softened so that it will adhere to the backing roll. 31. The impression material thus furnishes its own adhesive and it may thus be joined directly with the backing roll 31 and without the introduction of an intermediate adhesive material. By turning the backing roll 31 slowly in a counter-clockwise direction the softened or melted surface of the impression sheet is brought into close intimate contact with the periphery of the backing roll under the pressure of the pressure rolls 37, 38 and 39, and other portions of the sheet 35 are brought under the influence of the heating torch 45 and in turn'compressed against the backing roll by the pressure. rolls. By the time that the sheet emerges from the influence of the pressure roll 39, the surface in contact with the backing roll has set and the impression sheet is firmly secured to the backing roll.

This method of joining the impression material with the backing has the advantage that the impression material is seen-red throughout its whole area, is applied under uniform pressure, is of even thickness, and generally speaking, is free from such irregularities as would prevent realizing the full advantage of extreme smoothness of the impression surface of the impression sheet 35.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention provides a new process for joining a sheet of impression material to abacking so that the full advantage of its smooth surface may be realized, and an improved roll for transferrin impressions from an ink plate to a receiving surface. I

\Vhile the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that chan es may be made therein without departing rom the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimedis 1. In an apparatus for formin an impression material and for mounting t e same upon a backing roll, means for supporting the backing rolI and the impression material in position whereby their cooperating sur faces may be readily brought into engagement with one another, means for heating the impression material, and pressure means in position whereby their cooperating surfaces may be readily brought into engagement wlth one anothelpmeans for heating one surface of the impression material.

means for bringing sald heated surface into engagement with said backing roll and pressure means operative after said surfaces surface 'ingly pressing said have been brought into engagement for yieldsurfaces together.

3. In an apparatus for forming an impression material and for mountingthe same. upon a backing roll, means for rotatably supporting a backing roll. means for supporting the impression material in position whereby its surface may be readily brought into proper engagement with the surface of the backing roll. means for heating the im pression material, and pressure means operatiye after said surfaces have been brought into engagement for pressing said surfaces together.

4. In apparatus for forming an impression material and for mounting the same upon a backing roll, adjustable means for ro-.

tatably supporting a backing roll. means for supporting the impression material in position whereby its surface may be readily brought into proper engagement with the of the backing roll, pressure means operative after said surfaces have been brought into engagement for pressing said surfaces together, said pressure means comprising a series of rollers bearing against. said impression material, and means for adjusting the effective pressure of said rolls.

5. In apparatus for forming a roll having a surface layer of impression receiving material of the character described attached to the backing roll by heating one surface of the layer of impression material to melting and then pressing it against the backing roll while it is thus melted: at frame-work.1neans for rotatably mounting a backing roll therein. a guiding roll for supporting the layer of impression material being fed to the backing roll as it is being heated. and means for holding the layer of impression material against the surface of the. backing roll under sustained pressure after it has been heated.

6. In an apparatus for forming transferring apparatus having impression material mounted on a backing roll. the combination of a frame. adjustable brackets for supporting'a backing roll. means for feeding an impression material to the backing roll, means for causing the impression material to adhere to the backing roll. and a plurality of means for holding the impression material in contact with the backing roll until it has adhered thereto.

7. In an'apparatus for forming transferring apparatus having impression material mounted on a backing roll, the combination of a frame, adjustable means for supporting a backing roll, means for feeding a sheet of impression material to the backing roll. means for heating one surface of the impression material. and yieldable adjustable means for holding the. impression material in contact with the backing roll until it has cooled.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature.

" GUIDO VON WEBERN. 

